Physics

Professor Hans Werner Diehl received the honorary title of Fellow of the American Physical Society. The fellowship certificate makes special mention of his seminal and sustained contributions to the understanding of universal critical behaviour in relation to surfaces and boundaries.The acclaimed American Physical Society represents the interests of 46,000 members. In his work, Professor Diehl has conducted research into fluctuation-induced forces known as Casimir forces. Analog forces interact between components of nanotechnology.Professor Claus M. Schneider was honoured with a special German-French science distinction when he was presented with the Gay-Lussac-Humboldt award in Paris. The physicist teaches basic principles of magnetism among other subjects at the University of Duisburg-Essen. He is also Head of the Institute of Solid State Research at Forschungszentrum Jülich Research Centre. The award comes in recognition of his scientific achievements and his services to French-German science cooperation. The 25,000 euro prize is awarded every year by the French Ministry of Education and Research and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to four or five German and French scientists of all research disciplines. Professor Schneider will use the prize money to fund periods of research in France.From the Himalayas to the University of Duisburg-Essen to the skyscrapers of Manhattan: after achieving his doctorate, Nepalese national Dr. Giriraj Jnawali won a Feodor Lynen scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which he used to take him to New York. The 35 year old gained his Bachelor of Science from Tribhuvan University Kathmandu in Nepal. He embarked on his first major trip for his Master’s degree, which he concluded in 2004 with a thesis in nanoscience at the University of Hannover. He achieved his doctor’s degree summa cum laude at the Chair of Professor Michael Horn-von Hoegen, where he has been working since 2005. The research group works on the physics of nanostructures on silicon surfaces.Hatice Karacuban and Vural Kaymak have been distinguished for their achievements on the initiative of the Prorector for Diversity Management of the University of Duisburg-Essen in cooperation with the Consulate General of Turkey in Essen.Dr. Christoph Hassel received one of the Sparkasse Duisburg awards for outstanding dissertations. The title of his dissertation was “Spinabhängiger Transport in epitaktischen Fe-Leiterbahnen auf GaAs(110)”.Maram Akila and Sebastian Bauer also each received an award from the Sparkasse Duisburg for outstanding academic achievement.